Paul Merson Discusses Chelsea, Arsenal, and Man City Transfer Rumors

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If Arsenal don't get Vinicius or Barcola, it's a big worry

Arsenal are looking to buy someone from Real Madrid, one of the top players. It just shows you where Arsenal are in the market.

It's a big worry for all the other teams in the league, in my opinion.

If Arsenal don't get Vinicius, then they have to get Bradley Barcola. They have to get a left winger in, especially now Leandro Trossard has left. They left themselves very short in that position.

And if Arsenal don't get Vinicius or Barcola, then it's a major worry. For them to let Trossard go is not good business in my opinion - not for what you're selling.

He went for literally nothing. I can't believe that half the Premier League weren't after Trossard. He played in all the big games for Arsenal last season and he's a brilliant footballer.

There are a lot of good players but not a lot of good footballers out there. He came under that second category.

'I don't see how Rodri and Anderson play together'

Rodri is one of the top two holding midfielders in the world, alongside Moises Caicedo. But I don't see how him and Elliot Anderson play together.

Rodri is the best in the business at ticking it over, Anderson is going to be the best in the business at ticking it over. But to play both of them in there? I don't think they need that.

How many teams are going to have a go at Man City? People go to the Etihad and shut up shop and counter-attack. Do you need two holding midfielders against Hull? No, of course not. Then all of a sudden, someone's not playing.

Don't get me wrong, in the big games, when they're playing back away in the Champions League in a quarter-final or the last 16, then you need two holding midfield players. They were a bit too open in the Champions League and were well off it last year.

But the holy grail is the 38 games in the Premier League. And there aren't enough games in the Premier League for them both to play in the same team.

Unless they bought Anderson and he gets a season of learning under the best in the world in Rodri. But £116m is a lot to spend on someone to be an understudy. Rodri will want to play, and he won't want to sit there and be someone's understudy.

But you're still selling one of the best players in the world.